FC Barcelona to play preseason matches in Korea

Robert Lewandowski of FC Barcelona celebrates after scoring against Athletic Bilbao during a La Liga match at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain, March 25. AFP-Yonhap

Korean football fans will be treated to the sight of some of the world's best players this summer.

FC Barcelona, the 28-time La Liga champions, will play FC Seoul at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on July 31 and then Daegu FC in the southern city of Daegu on Aug. 4, officials said Tuesday.

Genesis BBQ, the local chicken franchise, announced it will serve as the main sponsor for the Seoul match, to be played at the 64,000-seat stadium in the capital city. Yoon Hong-keun, chairman of Genesis BBQ Group, said Tuesday the company will give away 30,000 tickets to customers and BBQ shop owners nationwide.

Yoon said 20,000 of those tickets will be up for grabs through an event running on BBQ's app from Wednesday to July 25. The rest will be handed out through separate events on BBQ's social media platforms.

Barca, as they are widely known, are among the most accomplished clubs in international football. They pulled off a double in the 2024-2025 season by winning the La Liga and Copa del Rey titles. Their star-studded squad features the Polish icon Robert Lewandowski, the 17-year-old Spanish phenom Lamine Yamal and the Brazilian sensation Raphinha, the 2024-2025 La Liga Player of the Season.

Lewandowski has remained productive at age 36, netting 27 goals in La Liga to rank second overall in the 2024-2025 season. He had 42 goals in all competitions.

Yamal is widely seen as the next big thing in global football. He scored 18 times in 55 matches in all competitions this past season.

Raphinha, 28, had his career-high 34 goals in 57 contests and will likely earn Ballon d'Or consideration as the world's top player for the season.

BBQ officials insisted the big names of the visiting club will take the field in Korea, dispelling concerns that there could be a repeat of Cristiano Ronaldo's no-show while with Juventus during the Italian club's trip to Seoul in 2019.

This will be Barca's first visit to Korea since 2010.